Guide · Housing societies
The housing society redevelopment guide for Mumbai
A society that follows a documented, fair sequence secures better terms and a decision that holds. A society that skips steps usually discovers why they existed at year three.
- For
- Housing society committees and members
- Reading time
- 12 min
- Updated
- 20 August 2026
- Steps
- 11
The short answer
A society redevelopment should proceed in order: assess the building's condition, pass a general body resolution to explore redevelopment, commission an independent feasibility study, appoint independent advisers, run a transparent tender, shortlist and diligence developers, select by documented general body decision, negotiate and review the development agreement with both a solicitor and a commercial adviser, obtain approvals, vacate only once security and rent are in place, and monitor construction to possession. Applicable procedural requirements under Maharashtra cooperative law should be confirmed with counsel.
Step by step
The sequence.
- Step 01
Assess the building
Commission a structural audit so the case for redevelopment rests on evidence rather than opinion.
- Step 02
Resolve to explore
Pass a properly noticed and minuted general body resolution to explore redevelopment and appoint advisers.
- Step 03
Establish feasibility
Commission an independent study of development potential, indicative member entitlement, corpus and rent before contacting developers.
- Step 04
Appoint independent advisers
Appoint a commercial adviser and a solicitor paid by the society, with conflicts disclosed.
- Step 05
Run a transparent tender
Issue a uniform offer format so that all offers are directly comparable, with an evaluation matrix agreed before opening.
- Step 06
Diligence the shortlist
Check balance sheets, current commitments, delivery record against committed dates, litigation and how previous society projects ended.
- Step 07
Select by general body decision
Present the evaluation and recommendation to members and record the decision and reasons.
- Step 08
Negotiate and review the agreement
Secure carpet definition, corpus security, rent until possession, delay security and a written specification — reviewed commercially and legally.
- Step 09
Obtain approvals
Track the developer's approval progress against the agreed timeline before members vacate.
- Step 10
Vacate with protections in place
Vacate only once rent, deposits and security against delay are in place as agreed.
- Step 11
Monitor to possession
Monitor construction, payments and approvals through to occupation certificate and handover.
The seven terms to compare
Compare every offer on the same basis across all seven — never on carpet area alone.
- Carpet entitlement, with the exact definition and measurement basis
- Corpus amount, payment stage and security
- Rent amount, escalation and continuation until possession
- Possession timeline and consequence for delay
- Security — bank guarantee, escrow or mortgage of developer's share
- Written specification schedule with brands and grades
- Developer capacity — balance sheet, commitments, delivery record
What makes a decision withstand challenge
Proper notice, accurate minutes, a uniform offer format, an evaluation matrix agreed in advance, recorded reasons and disclosure of any committee member's connection to a bidder. These are tedious and they are the difference between a decision that holds and one that stalls the project later.
This guide is general information only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. Regulations, rates and procedures change; confirm the current position with the relevant authority and a qualified adviser before acting.
Questions
Frequently asked.
How many members must agree to redevelopment?
Consent requirements are set by applicable cooperative law, government directions and the specific scheme, and they have changed over time. Confirm the current requirement for your society with counsel before relying on any figure.
Should members vacate before approvals are received?
Generally not. Vacating before key approvals and before security and rent arrangements are in place transfers delay risk to members. Link vacating to defined approval milestones in the agreement.
Related guides
- The developer playbookMost development problems are sequencing problems. Decisions that should be made early are made late, and decisions that should wait for evidence are made on hope. This playbook sets out the order.
- RERA guide for homebuyersRERA gives buyers access to information that used to be unavailable. Most buyers do not use it. Ten minutes on the authority's website before booking can prevent years of dispute.
- Stamp duty and registration in MumbaiStamp duty is typically the largest cost of buying a property after the price itself. It is calculated on a defined basis, it is payable before registration, and its rate depends on where the property is and on applicable concessions.
The first decision
Let's start before the building.
Send us the site, the scheme or the stalled inventory. We will tell you what we think — including when the answer is not to proceed.